Crash kills Beech Island teen

A Beech Island teen died Wednesday night following a crash on Silver Bluff road near Town Creek Road.

According to a statement released by the Aiken County coroner, Steven A. Burleson, 18, was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at the Aiken Regional Medical Center.

A 17-year-old passenger Austin Paige McNamee also of Beech Island was in the 1998 Ford Mustang driven by Mr. Burleson. She was transported to the same hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

According to witnesses Mr. Burleson was traveling at a high rate of speed on Silver Bluff Road when another vehicle was attempting to make a right turn onto Silver Bluff Road. Mr. Burleson sideswiped the pickup truck, veered off Silver Bluff and struck a power pole.

Aiken Department of Public Safety is investigating the crash. Both driver and passenger were wearing their seatbelts. Toxicology is pending. This is the 15th fatal crash in Aiken County in 2010, Coroner Tim Carlton said.

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Unfortunately, the main reason to own a Mustang is to go fast. Add a teen driver and a wreck it too likely. Being able to deal with the poor decision making of other drivers is difficult when traveling on a two lane road at a high rate of speed. Another example of the seat belt helping about half of the time while cautious driving helps all of the time. My condolences to the family of Steven Burleson.

A 1998 Mustang is nothing to get excited over when making outlandish statements that it goes fast, Cliff. It goes no faster than any other car out there. The 1998 Mustang had a whopping 150 horsepower and the "GT" model, a blistering 225 horspower (sarcasim). No matter what vehicle a person is in they have the propensity to have an accident due to negligance of speed.

does it really matter what kind of car they were driving. someone just lost there son and yall are sitting here fighting about cars. if your gonna do that do it somewhere else, not on a tragic death report.